As corruption scandal hits, Zelensky's party lawmakers side with opposition, demand answers, powers
President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a meeting with his Greek counterpart in Athens, Greece, on Nov. 16, 2025. (Angelos Tzortzinis / AFP via Getty Images)
Some lawmakers from President Volodymyr Zelensky's party called on Nov. 19 for creating a government of national unity that would include members of the opposition.
Around 10 pro-government lawmakers have allegedly signed an open letter urging the president to restore the parliament's authority and the power of the cabinet of ministers, long overshadowed by the President's Office, now embroiled in the biggest corruption scandal of Zelensky's presidency.
David Arakhamia, head of the governing Servant of the People's faction in parliament, said that the statement did not represent the position of the whole party or its parliamentary faction.
Earlier this month, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) charged eight suspects in a large-scale corruption scheme centered around state nuclear power company Energoatom. Timur Mindich, a close associate of Zelensky, was named as the ringleader, and the president's close friend, ex-Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov, is also a suspect.
Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko and Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk, fired on Nov. 19, are also implicated in the scheme. They have yet to be charged.
"To restore the trust of Ukrainian citizens and our international partners in the state, we call for immediate negotiations among all pro-Ukrainian factions and groups in the Verkhovna Rada to create a coalition for national resilience," a statement signed by Servant of the People members of parliament and published by pro-government lawmaker Mykyta Poturayev reads.
Poturayev told the Kyiv Independent that about 10 lawmakers from the Servant of the People had signed the statement. He did not name them, however.
A similar call was issued by the opposition a day prior.
The pro-government lawmakers' statement mentioned that a new government must be "composed of experts with impeccable reputations and proven management experience in relevant fields."
Poturayev also called for restoring the "constitutional balance of power" and operating "on the principles of a parliamentary-presidential republic" — an apparent reference to restoring parliament's role as a counterbalance to the executive branch.
"It's just the beginning of the scandal."
"It is essential that the President's Office should function transparently and should be institutionally regulated and free from informal influence by individuals associated with corrupt practices," the statement reads.
The lawmakers said that their statement was a response to "the growing threat to the very existence of the Ukrainian state as a result of revelations of large-scale corruption schemes at the highest levels of government — and the resulting crisis of trust in key state institutions."
"There must be no untouchables," they added. "All individuals implicated in... the investigation into the criminal group led by Timur Mindich must be immediately dismissed, without exception."
A lawmaker from the president's party, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Kyiv Independent that they would also sign the statement, and that about 30 members of parliament may back it.
They added, however, that the potential resignation of Zelensky's Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak is not included in the statement. They said that currently lawmakers are also discussing whether to support the clause on the national unity government.
They said, "It's just the beginning of the scandal."
Zelensky is expected to meet with the Servant of the People faction on Nov. 20, two sources in the president's party told the Kyiv Independent.
Not willing to speak publicly, both sources said that future relations between the president and his party depend on whether Zelensky will decide to fire Yermak.
Fedir Venislavskyi, another lawmaker from the Servant of the People, said on Nov. 18 that Yermak's resignation "would definitely bring down this certain agitation around the government because it is no secret that the government was formed mainly after certain candidates were approved in the President's Office."
On Nov. 17-18, three opposition parties — ex-President Petro Poroshenko's European Solidarity, ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's Batkivshchyna, and the liberal Holos party — also called for a national unity government including opposition representatives.
Holos said in a statement that the "Cabinet of Ministers, which was appointed in a non-transparent manner and has effectively allowed a crisis of this magnitude to unfold, must resign without delay."
Holos also called for the dismissal of the President’s Office leadership, including Yermak.
"It is now evident that (the President's Office), which has effectively monopolized state power, has reached a dead end, and the lack of professional personnel and the absence of a reserve bench only deepen the political crisis," the party added.
Political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko told the Kyiv Independent that "if the circle of suspects (in the corruption scheme) continues to expand, it may prompt calls for a government reshuffle."
He added, however, that he was skeptical about a new coalition government.
"They will serve their own interests, quarrel among themselves, and prepare for future elections," Fesenko said. "And on top of that, there will be no trust, because Poroshenko and Tymoshenko have the highest disapproval ratings."
